The Full Belmonte, 9/2/2023
Jimmy Buffett, ‘Margaritaville’ singer, dead at 76
“Jimmy Buffett, the tropical troubadour whose folksy tunes celebrated his laid-back lifestyle, inspired legions of devoted fans and spawned a lucrative business empire, has died, according to his official website and multiple media outlets.
He was 76.
‘Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,’ a statement released on his social page reads….
Buffett was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and raised in the port town of Mobile, Alabama. He moved to Key West, Florida, where he found his voice, his website says.
An amiable singer-songwriter with a penchant for clever wordplay, Buffett largely ignored pop music trends and was never a hitmaker or an MTV darling. “Margaritaville,” in 1977, was his only Top 10 song.
But he built an enormous cult of fans, affectionately known as “Parrotheads,” who embraced his vision of life spent in flip-flops, full of beaches, boats, booze and weed.
Later in his career, he parlayed his enduring popularity into bestselling books, a Broadway musical and a string of casual restaurants, resorts and other ventures.
Buffett, who was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006, won two Country Music Association awards during his career and was twice nominated for Grammy Awards.
Before his death, Buffett was preparing to release a new record, with songs previewed weekly on Radio Margaritaville, according to his website.
Buffett leaves behind his wife, Jane Slagsvol, and three children.” Read more at CNN
Proud Boy convicted of helping spearhead Capitol attack ties Jan. 6 sentence record with 18 years
“WASHINGTON (AP) — A one-time leader in the Proud Boys far-right extremist group was sentenced Friday to 18 years in prison for his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, tying the record for the longest sentence in the attack.
Ethan Nordean was one of five members convicted of spearheading an attack on the U.S. Capitol to try to prevent the peaceful transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 presidential election.
‘He is the undisputed leader on the ground on Jan 6,’ said prosecutor Jason McCullough.
The Seattle-area chapter president was one of two Proud Boys sentenced Friday. Dominic Pezzola was convicted of smashing a window at the U.S. Capitol in the building’s first breach on Jan. 6, 2021. He defiantly raised a fist and declared ‘Trump won!’ as he walked out of the courtroom after being sentenced to 10 years in prison, also among the longest sentences in the Jan. 6 attack.
The 18-year record for a Jan. 6 sentence was set by Stewart Rhodes, founder of another far-right extremist group the Oath Keepers. Members of both groups were convicted separately of seditious conspiracy, a rarely brought Civil War-era offense.
The highest ranking Proud Boy convicted after a monthslong trial earlier this year, Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday.
Prosecutors said Nordean’s words and online posting grew increasingly violent leading up to Jan. 6. On that day, he led a group of nearly 200 men toward the Capitol, then moved to the front of the mob and helped tear down a fence, allowing rioters to pour onto the grounds and confront police, according to court documents. Prosecutors had asked for a 27-year sentence.
Defense attorneys have argued there was no plan to storm the Capitol that day and pushed back against the idea that Nordean tore down the fence or that his rhetoric was specifically about Jan. 6. They asked for less than two years.
For his own part, the 33-year-old from Auburn, Washington, told the judge he now sees Jan. 6 as a ‘complete and utter tragedy’ and he regretted not trying to use his leadership role to stop what happened.
‘There is no rally or political protest that should hold value over human life,’ he said. ‘To anyone who I directly or even indirectly wronged, I’m sorry.’
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee who also sentenced Pezzola earlier in the day and applied a terrorism enhancement in both cases.
Pezzola, 46, took a police officer’s riot shield and used it to smash the window, allowing rioters to make the first breach into the Capitol, and he later filmed a ‘celebratory video’ with a cigar inside, prosecutors said. He was a recent Proud Boys recruit, however, and a jury acquitted him of seditious conspiracy. He was convicted of other serious charges and prosecutors had asked for 20 years in prison.
‘He was an enthusiastic foot soldier,’ prosecutor Erik Kenerson said.” Read more at AP News
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was cleared by a US Capitol health official to work one day after he froze for a second time. Twice-impeached and four-time indictee Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to Georgia charges he led a racketeering conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election. While the ex-president has been seeking to cash in on his felony prosecutions, polls after the first GOP debate show increasing support for his rivals. Still, with much of the party’s base in his corner, the 2024 nomination looks like it’s his to lose—for now. ‘To be sure, Trump is absolutely the most likely to win the nomination,’ Jonathan Bernstein writes in Bloomberg Opinion. ‘But it’s simply too early to be sure and one can’t repeat too many times that everything about this is unprecedented.’” [Bloomberg]
Mitch McConnell Photographer: Liz Dufour/The Enquirer/USA Today Network
“The labor market has been the stalwart of the US economy this year, supporting momentum that’s set it on a glide path for that Goldilocks scenario known as a soft landing. New data this week showed more people entering the workforce (which did cause the unemployment rate to rise), increased hiring and slowing wage growth—three key ingredients of Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s design for a victorious conclusion to his war on pandemic-era inflation. More good news for the American economy came in the form of corporate profits, which are on the rise again after a year of declines. But as always, that slow descent could turn into something else.” [Bloomberg]
McCarthy says he won’t open impeachment inquiry without House vote
BY EMILY BROOKS
Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Friday said he would only open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden with a full House vote — shutting down talk of Republicans potentially moving forward without one.
‘To open an impeachment inquiry is a serious matter, and House Republicans would not take it lightly or use it for political purposes. The American people deserve to be heard on this matter through their elected representatives,’ McCarthy told Breitbart News on Friday. ‘That’s why, if we move forward with an impeachment inquiry, it would occur through a vote on the floor of the People’s House and not through a declaration by one person.’
Read the full story here at The Hill
Pope’s Remarks on ‘Reactionary’ U.S. Catholics Rankle, and Resonate
Where Francis sees rigid ideology replacing faith in the conservative American Catholic hierarchy, his critics see a struggle to preserve traditions and teachings they saw as settled.
By Ruth Graham
Sept. 1, 2023
“When Pope Francis spoke of ‘a very strong, organized, reactionary attitude’ that opposes him within the Roman Catholic Church in the United States and, in comments that became public this week, warned against letting ‘ideologies replace faith,’ some American Catholics recognized their church immediately.
‘He is 100 percent right,’ said the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and commentator who is considered an ally of Francis. The opposition to Francis within the American church now, he said, ‘far outstrips the fierceness of the opposition to Saint John Paul II and Pope Benedict,’ the two previous popes.
When Father Martin visits Rome these days, he said, the first question many people there ask him is, ‘What is going on in the U.S.?’
It’s essentially the same question that prompted the pope’s sharply critical remarks, which were made impromptu last month and published this week by the Vatican-approved Jesuit journal La Civiltà Cattolica….” Read more at New York Times
Texas Supreme Court Allows Transgender Medical Ban to Begin
The state’s highest court declined to stop a new law banning transition care for transgender minors from taking effect as legal challenges proceed.
The News
“The Texas Supreme Court allowed a new law banning transition care for transgender minors to go into effect on Friday, halting a range of medically-accepted treatments, including hormones and puberty blockers, in the nation’s most populous Republican-led state.
Background
A lower court moved last week to temporarily block implementation of the new law, finding that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in their challenge on state constitutional grounds. But that decision was immediately appealed by the attorney general to the Texas Supreme Court, an action that prevented the lower court’s injunction from taking effect.
The state’s highest court has not yet ruled on the appeal, and on Thursday it denied an emergency application to block the law from going into effect on schedule on Sept. 1. The request was made by the plaintiffs, including transgender minors, their parents and several rights groups, including Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas.
The law was passed by the Republican-dominated Texas Legislature earlier this year and was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott. It prohibits doctors from prescribing certain medications and from performing mastectomies or other surgical procedures as part of a gender transition for minors.
Under the law, doctors who provide such care would have their medical licenses revoked. The law also bars health insurance plans from covering the treatments.
The plaintiffs have argued that the law violates the Texas constitution, denies parents the right to make decisions about their children’s medical care and discriminates against transgender people with gender dysphoria by denying them treatments, like hormone therapy, that remain legally available for minors in Texas to address other needs….” Read more at New York Times
A federal judge temporarily blocked Arkansas’ social media age-verification law.
“Had it gone into effect today as planned, the state would have been the first in the U.S. to require users to prove their age by uploading identification and parents to consent to minors’ accounts. A trade association whose members include Meta, TikTok and Snap sued to stop the measure in June. Utah and Louisiana passed similar laws earlier this year that won’t go into effect until 2024.” [Wall Street Journal]
“The so-called ‘Summer of Strikes’ isn’t over just yet. Shawn Fain, the new president of the United Auto Workers, has declared ‘war’ on the Detroit big three automakers, with contract demands including proposals for a 46% raise and a 32-hour work week. Technology allowed white- collar workers to work from home during the pandemic, and now service and factory workers want to improve their work-life balance, too. Though if you’re an intern at Ken Griffin’s Citadel, your salary of $19,200 a month may make up for a lot of WFH days. And finally, online job search site Indeed said it will pay $10,000 to help transgender workers move to states where they feel safer. America is now the subject of a travel alert by Canada, given discriminatory policies of some Republican-controlled states toward LGBTQ individuals. One of those states—Florida—earned a similar warning from domestic civil rights groups over how its policies will impact people of color.” [Bloomberg]
Shawn Fain, the new president of the United Auto Workers, speaks to union members before a practice picket in Detroit. Photographer: Jeff Kowalsky/Bloomberg
“Kyiv’s forces appear to have pierced the first line of Russian fortifications in Ukraine’s southeast and are fighting to widen the breach, a potential breakthrough in its counteroffensive against the Russian invasion. Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, has agreed to make his first foreign trip—to China’s Belt and Road Forum—since the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest on war crimes charges.” [Bloomberg]
“Ukraine’s new weapon. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday that his country has developed a new, advanced long-range weapon that can strike a target 435 miles away. The reveal comes just days after Ukrainian drones hit a Russian airport near the Estonian and Latvian borders, damaging four military transport planes in the process. The airport is roughly 400 miles from the Ukrainian border.
This week’s drone assault was Ukraine’s largest on Russian territory since the war began 18 months ago. The development of this new longer-range weaponry could enable Ukrainian forces to launch even more devastating strikes inside Russia. The last major success Kyiv claimed in its counteroffensive campaign was the capture of Robotyne, a key settlement in Zaporizhzhia, on Monday.” [Foreign Policy]
Big Spender
A Japanese army uniform is seen during an urban assault in Townsville, Australia, on June 30.Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images
“On Thursday, Japan’s Defense Ministry requested nearly $53 billion for its next defense budget. The 13 percent increase is the largest request in the agency’s history and the 12th consecutive raise. According to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the spending boost is part of a five-year, nearly $295 billion plan to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities amid increasingly aggressive Indo-Pacific threats.
Japan hopes to make defense spending 2 percent of its GDP despite decades of a self-imposed 1 percent cap. In this year’s request, more than $5 billion will be allocated toward building a fleet of standoff missiles, nearly $9 billion will go toward enhancing the country’s air and missile defense systems, and around $500 million will be invested in next-generation fighter jets as part of a larger deal with the United Kingdom and Italy.
‘This is fairly heady stuff for a nation of military euphemisms where the army is dubbed a self-defense force and aircraft carriers are modestly called ‘multi-purpose operation destroyers,’’ journalist William Sposato argued in Foreign Policy.
In December 2022, Tokyo published a new national security strategy that effectively overturned 60 years of military pacifism, though Kishida said the country would remain committed to its self-defense stance. In the report, Japan’s Defense Ministry called China its ‘greatest strategic challenge.’ Kishida has since said that obtaining a ‘counterstrike capability will be essential to deter an attack’ from China.
Tokyo’s pivot toward a more aggressive defense strategy in the Indo-Pacific comes as Chinese and North Korean threats have escalated to dangerous levels. Over the last year, Beijing has increasingly threatened Taiwan’s sovereignty, boosted its number of overseas naval bases, and expanded its Belt and Road Initiative. Pyongyang appears to be following in Beijing’s footsteps. On Wednesday, North Korea simulated a scorched-earth nuclear strike on South Korea and launched two short-range ballistic missiles into waters off its east coast, spurring Kishida to call Pyongyang’s actions a threat to “peace and stability” in Japan, the Indo-Pacific, and the world at large.” [Foreign Policy]
“Hostages in Ecuador. More than 50 prison guards and police officers were taken hostage across six prisons in Ecuador on Thursday, underscoring the rampant violence that has engulfed the South American nation. The kidnappings coincided with two car bombings in Quito, Ecuador’s capital, targeting the country’s prison authority. At least six people have been arrested in connection with the spike in violence, and no injuries were reported.
The reason for the slew of criminal activity is unclear; however, local authorities believe one of the bombings could have been in retaliation for a weapons search at one of the country’s largest prisons. In recent years, hundreds of inmates have been killed by drug trafficking gangs due to overcrowded, under-resourced prisons. Cartels rule large stretches of the nation’s capital, and assassinations have become commonplace.” [Foreign Policy]
“Special privileges. Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra secured a surprise legal win on Friday, when Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn commuted the long-exiled leader’s prison sentence. Instead of eight years behind bars, Thaksin now faces only one year in prison. The news comes one day after Thaksin submitted a royal pardon request.
Thaksin returned to Bangkok last week following the Thai parliament confirming Pheu Thai Party candidate Srettha Thavisin as the country’s next head of government. Upon his arrival, Thaksin was immediately escorted to the nation’s Supreme Court to face charges for abusing power while in office. The timing of his return suggested that Thaksin may have made a deal with the ruling military regime and political elite to shorten his sentence—although Thaksin and the Pheu Thai Party have denied these allegations.” [Foreign Policy]
“Following last weekend’s World Bog Snorkeling Championships, Britain hosted another unique competition: the World Gravy Wrestling Championships. Every year, wrestlers don elaborate outfits and spend two minutes vying for a slippery win in a pool of gravy. Points are awarded based on entertainment value as well as wrestling skill. ‘Once you get in there, it’s a totally different beast,’ said competitor Tommy Jupiter. ‘My opponent’s eyes and ears were full of gravy and he was completely disorientated, but we got through it.’” [Foreign Policy]
Fast-food fracas
Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios
“Fast-food chains are coming under fire from false advertising lawsuits that claim their food doesn't match ads or photos on the menu board, Axios' Kelly Tyko writes.
Why it matters: Consumer advocates point to shrinking portion sizes and overzealous marketing teams. The food industry says lawyers are egging on litigious customers.
What's happening: 101 class-action lawsuits were filed against food and beverage companies in the first half of the year, according to data from Perkins Coie, a law firm that tracks class-action suits.
In 2008, that number was 19.
Zoom in: A federal judge in Florida ruled last week that a lawsuit against Burger King could move forward.
The lawsuit claims that advertisements and photos on store menus show burgers that are about 35% larger than what's available to customers.
Taco Bell was sued in July over claims its Crunchwraps and Mexican pizzas contain half as much filling as advertised.
McDonald's and Wendy's are facing similar lawsuits.” [Axios]
Where animal shelters are slammed
Data: Shelter Animals Count. Map: Kavya Beheraj/Axios
“Animal shelters are being overrun with stray or owner-surrendered pets this year, Axios Chicago's Carrie Shepherd writes.
Why it matters: The increase is leading to spiking euthanasia rates across the country.
What's happening: Intakes at shelters across the country are expected to reach a three-year high this year, according to the Shelter Animals Count database.
Adoptions or returns to owners aren't keeping pace.
Zoom in: Cities with high adoption rates have been hosting ‘Clear the Shelters’ promotional events, where adoption fees are waived or free microchips are offered.
The Denver Animal Shelter recently hired the department's first social worker in an effort to take a ‘proactive approach’ to pets being surrendered.” [Axios]
Data: Axios Research. Graphic: Rahul Mukherjee and Erin Davis/Axios. (Note: Notre Dame is independent for football.)
Mapped: The Atlantic Coast Conference is adding teams on the West Coast: Stanford, Cal (Berkeley) and SMU will join for the 2024-25 school year. Keep reading.
“While many now forgo face masks and have returned (for the most part) to pre-Covid life, that doesn’t mean the virus that killed millions of people is history. New variants, dubbed Eris and Pirola, have emerged, with the latter prompting England is to push forward its vaccination booster program. In other health news, doctors at some of the largest US teaching hospitals are blowing the whistle on colleagues who schedule two or even three operations at virtually the same time, leaving during critical portions, then billing Medicare for work they didn’t do.” [Bloomberg]
“Tesla slashed prices for its Model S and X in the US and China after the unveiling of a revamped Model 3 sedan in China. The US EV-maker has been trying to compete with rivals at home and abroad, like BYD and Nio. Maserati, also in the EV game, has resurrected its grand touring coupe, the GranTurismo with an option to go full electric. The cars will cost you though. They have a $205,000 starting price.” [Bloomberg]
The GranTurismo comes with a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V-6 engine and eight-speed automatic transmission. Source: Lorenzo Marcinno
THE WEEK IN CULTURE
Jimmy Buffett at Manhattan’s Marquis Theatre in 2018.Aaron Richter for The New York Times
“Jimmy Buffett, the singer whose brand of escapism on hits like ‘Margaritaville’ made him a latter-day folk hero, died at 76.
As the U.S. Open started, celebrities descended on a tennis foundation gala.
Taylor Swift announced that a filmed version of one of her Eras Tour concerts will be released in movie theaters this fall.
Five late-night hosts, including Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon, will create a podcast, the proceeds of which will go to striking writers, The Washington Post reports.
The rapper Travis Scott has announced a North American tour, Pitchfork reports. It will be his first since the 2021 Astroworld tragedy.
John Eliot Gardiner, a renowned conductor, will withdraw from performances and seek counseling after he was accused of striking a singer in the face at a concert.
Florence Welch, the Florence + the Machine front woman, announced that she had emergency surgery. She did not specify what the operation was for.
Richard Ekstract, a magazine publisher who lent Andy Warhol the video recorder he used to make the landmark movie ‘Outer and Inner Space,’ died at 92.
Ray Hildebrand, whose recording of a love song he wrote in college, ‘Hey Paula,’ became a No. 1 hit in 1963, died at 82.
A Utah mother who chronicled her strict parenting on YouTube was arrested on suspicion of child abuse after one of her children climbed out a window and ran to another house seeking help.
A body was found after a nearly weeklong search for a British poet who had disappeared.” [New York Times]
GAME OF THE WEEKEND
Florida State quarterback Jordan TravisPhelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press
“L.S.U. vs. Florida State, college football: After more than six months away, football is back, and nearly all of the top college teams start their seasons this weekend. The marquee matchup will be between the No. 5 Louisiana State Tigers and the No. 8 Florida State Seminoles. The Tigers, whose offense is stocked with returning starters, will be looking for revenge after losing to the Seminoles by one point last year in a thriller. But it won’t be easy; Florida State’s quarterback, Jordan Travis, is widely considered to be a Heisman Trophy candidate. 7:30 p.m. Eastern tomorrow on ABC.
For more
Colorado’s new head coach, the former N.F.L. star Deion Sanders, is confident he can win, but others are skeptical that he can quickly turn around a team that went 1-11 last season.
New rule changes are designed to make games go more quickly.
This is the last season before new-look leagues and an expanded playoffwill drastically alter college football.” [New York Times]